Kind vs. Cruel

 

Human nature says "an eye for an eye".  It is our basic instinct to take revenge on those that hurt us or our families.  This can be seen in so many scenarios.  Responding to unkind words with cruel words.  Responding to unkind acts with cruel acts.  It certainly seems to be extremely evident in our world today.  "Make me mad and I'll take revenge" seems to be all around us.  We all seem to view these situations from afar, yet, is our behavior all that different?  Our actions may not be as strong, our words as hurtful, but how are we reacting?

As I reflect back upon times when someone said or did something hurtful to me, I can't say I always responded as a "Jesus girl" ought to respond.  I certainly have said my fair share of unkind words.  What I think is worst, though, are thoughts I may have had and thoughts I shared with others around me.   It seems as if we are going to be hurt, we are going to rally all those around us to know how we have been treated.  We may not say anything back to the person directly, but all the time and energy spent chatting with others is certainly not blessing those who may have lashed out against us.  

Responding to cruel or unkind words/actions with the same type of behavior that was given to us is not responding in a blessed way.  As I think back, Jesus often asks us to behave in a way where we should respond to cruelty with kindness.  We certainly had a great role model in Jesus.  So many times during his time here on Earth he responded to cruel words and actions with kindness.  Right up to his time on the cross, ensuring the thief entrance into paradise. 

So how do we do this?  How do we respond to cruel words and actions with prayers of blessings?  We turn to the one that teaches us how - Jesus!  

• Prayer - May we talk to our Heavenly Father and ask him for his help.  Our sinful nature needs help and the only one who can help us is Jesus.  Ask Jesus to give us the strength to change our hearts and minds to show blessings to those that lash out against us.  Respond to cruelty with kindness.
• Words of Christ - Let us open the Bible and look at the many ways Jesus responded to those who persecuted him.  May we soak in his words and meditate on the goodness of Jesus in each and every situation.  Through his responses we can see how he responds to cruelty with kindness.  He is a wonderful teacher.
• Walk in His Way - After we pray and read, then we need to do the hard part - act.  This can take on so many different scenarios, each one is important.  Silently praying for those who lash out against us, not returning a cruel word or action with our own cruelty, and not gossiping about the situation with others are all ways we can walk in Jesus' way.

Replacing cruelty with kindness can sometimes be a difficult challenge for us humans.  Yet, we are fortunate to have a Savior who is patient with us, giving us many ways to learn from him, and leads us to bless those who persecute us.  May we always follow Jesus' lead.

Dearest Jesus, help us to always respond with a sense of kindness and blessing.  This can be so very difficult for us to do.  You have provided us with so many examples of how we should behave.  May we keep that front of mind and in our hearts.  In your name we pray - Amen!

Sharing

 

It's very interesting to watch children share, especially with someone that is not familiar to them.  Whether another child or an adult, they seem to send caution to the wind and reach out to give what is theirs to someone else.  It may be a toy that they give to another who doesn't have a toy or even part of their precious cookie.  They give to someone who doesn't have anything - and don't expect anything in return.

Fast forward a few decades and, as adults, we may at times have difficulty sharing what is ours.  Whether it is sharing our time, our possessions, our money or our home, we tend to "hold on" to what is ours.  If we decide to take the step to share, that spirit of "caution to the wind" may be replaced with an "abundance of caution".  Inviting a stranger to share our 'cookies' may even be a larger leap.

This wonderful verse in Romans 12 helps us to understand what Jesus wants from us.  Through Paul, He is very prescriptive on how we should reach out.  For those in need, we need to share.  That's it!  There isn't a certain recipe or a way for us to do it - just share with those in need.  How do we do that?  Who has time to do that?  How do I know who is in need?  Many of those questions can be answered if we keep our eyes and hearts open.  Take time to listen to those around you.  Focus your eyes on someone else.  Where can we lighten someone's load?

• Maybe it is the young mother in front of us at the grocery store who is struggling to find those extra few dollars for her groceries . . .
• Maybe it is the delivery driver who is at the end of his shift and is just looking for a smile . . .
• Maybe it is the person behind you in the coffee line who gets a friendly gesture from you to pay for their coffee that day . . .

Yes, those moments are important and can brighten someone's difficult day.  There can be greater problems in front of us, though.  A family who may not know where their next meal is coming from.  An elderly shut in who hasn't had the ability to get out in a long time.  A stranger sitting by themselves on a park bench looking down at the ground with no friends to talk to.  Can we make a difference here?  What can we share?  Sometimes our time and a kind word is the hospitality people need.  Our time, our treasures, our love for others can be the sharing that we can offer.  

Take a moment.  Look around you.  Where can we share hospitality?  Where can we bring the love of Jesus into the moment?  Where can we show caring?  Let's all be the light of Jesus here on earth to those that are in need.  Take a moment.  Give of yourself.  Practice hospitality.  Show love.  Share~~

Heavenly Father, help us to share with those that are in need.  May we take the time to look around us, listen to those that may be silenced, so we can share all that you have given to us.  May we be your light on earth to those that need some brightening.  Amen.

Grab Hold

 

I was watching a little one with their parent the other day.  She was a toddler, stretching her "adventure" muscles.  She would wander a few steps ahead of mom, and then look back to grab hold of her finger.  Once she felt the security, she would then release and proceed exercising her adventure muscles.  Yes, a flood of memories returned to when the children were small and would do the same thing.  I always found it fascinating how they knew I would be there, just as this mama was, to grab hold of in assurance.

Often there have been times I have done the same thing, grabbing hold of something or someone when I found a certain adventure just a bit too risky, or when I didn't have enough assurance that the journey I embarked on would come to fruition.  There were times when I would reach back to my parents for their affirmation that I was making the right decisions.  Other times, I reached out to my husband for the strength and confidence I needed to move forward.  Each time, my I would look to grab hold of something familiar as I sought the unfamiliar.

As much as I love my parents and husband, there have been times where their security has not been enough.  Their loving words and assurance still left me empty and seeking the path.  It wasn't until I grabbed hold of the One who knows my path that I found comfort.  It wasn't until I reached out to the Creator of my journey, did I find peace.  These adventures are not always easy.  In fact, they have been down right scary.  What I have come to realize, though, is when I grab hold to God, my adventure ends with joy.

When I reach out to God in the unfamiliar, I find:

• Hope - My hope is rooted in the trust I have in God's hand for my life.  Rejoicing in that hope means that I know, without any doubt, that the path before me is in the best hands - God's hands.  
• Patience - Not my strongest characteristic, but one that seems to be strengthened when I turn to God.  I have yet to find any path that is "smooth sailing".  There are turbulent seas in every journey.  Yet, when I ride those storms with God, the end of the journey is much more satisfying than when I have tried to veer off His path and follow my own.
• Prayer - My lifeline to God is in prayer.  He becomes the one I talk with like an old friend.  When I pour out my soul to my Lord, everything in my life becomes "well with my soul".  Prayer, for me, may not even have words.  Many times, it's being silent and letting God penetrate my heart and soul, and listening to His response.

The next time our lives find us in unfamiliar territory, whether it is a medical diagnosis, a new relationship, a turn in our careers, or a time for reflection, I ask that we grab hold of the One that can fill our souls and bring us to our destination.  Grab hold of Jesus - He's waiting to provide us His blessed assurance.

Dearest Lord, thank you for always being there to provide me hope in all unfamiliar situations.  May I always rely on your love for my life and find solace in that.  Bring me patience when things don't seem to be moving in the direction "I" anticipate and let me come to you in prayer for peace.  Amen!

Honor

 

Pick and choose.  When I was a kid, pick and choose meant everything from the type of candy at the penny candy counter to which apple I wanted.  As I became older, it began to mean things such as friends, jobs, battles, etc.  Certainly long gone are the days that pick and choose meant bubble gum over a lollipop.  I long for those days.  Decisions seemed easier - but then again, I was seven.  As we age, the challenges that are before us and the decisions we make seem to increase in intensity.

Age tends to put different perspectives in front of us.  What and who used to be important in our lives may not present itself with the same importance.  As I grow older, I find myself and others that I talk with, stating, "If they don't like the way I am - that's fine.  I don't need to spend time or energy with them," or "Their drama is just too much for me", etc.  You know the old adage, I'll spend my energy with the people that make me happy.

I've been a firm believer in that last statement.  Then I read this verse and it challenged me to think differently.  Be devoted to others in love, honor others above me.  I try to do that - with the people I want to spend my time and energy on.  Yet, that's not what Paul is asking from us.  It's certainly not what Jesus wants from us.  

Loving others, honoring others - it's not about who "I" choose to enter my path, but who God has chosen to enter my path.  Yes, that means that I should consider that with ALL people that God puts in front of me, not just the people I want to spend my time and energy on.  So who am I actually supposed to honor above me?

• I should honor everyone from the person who gets my coffee in the morning to the person taking my dinner order.
• I should honor the difficult person who continually argues with me along with the person who "gets me" and my opinion.
• I should honor the mama in front of me at the grocery store trying to calm her babies to the elderly person walking slowly throughout the store while I'm racing around the aisles.

Jesus doesn't ask us to honor just those that we "want" to have in our lives, but asks us to honor ALL that come into our lives.  I certainly have a bit of work to do in that area.  You?  I try very hard to show love, devotion and honor to those closest to me - family and friends.  Yet, we are supposed to be like Jesus as much as we can and he certainly showed honor to all those around him - even the non-believers.  How much it must take for God to honor us?  We are sinners.  Every day we commit sins that are against the way He wants us to live our lives.  Yet, He loves and honors us - so much that He gave Jesus to wipe our sins away.  

It's time for a new way of looking at ALL people around us.  They may not be in our "inner circle" of family and friends, but they are to be honored and loved.  One gesture, one smile, one prayer; all those actions can lead to the life Jesus has asked us to live.  Of all times in our history, now is the time to stand up and honor each and every person we meet - with respect and love - just as our Savior has done for us.

Dearest Jesus, help me to be more like you.  Help me to set aside "my thinking" and grow to be more like you.  My I love, honor and respect all those in my path and may my actions reflect those thoughts.  Amen!

Sincere Love

Evil can mean many things for each of us.  Google defines it as profoundly immoral or wicked.  What is immoral or wicked may be drastically different for each of us.  Our life situation, our surrounding environment, the people we encounter - all of those things and more can determine what we find as evil.  It could be an addiction - to food, to drugs, to alcohol.  It could be people who treat others with a lack of respect or value.  It could be slander and gossip.  Unfortunately, our lives can introduce us to evil every day - we live in a world of sin.  What a way to start a blog post!

Evil can be dark and full of despair.  Our world can seem like that.  Our lives can seem like that.  The situations of 2020 can reveal a dark place, one that is filled with disease, hatred, and evil.  In walks the one that conquers evil.  God always amazes me!  He takes what is wrong and makes it right.  He takes the ordinary and makes it extra ordinary.  He takes the simple and makes it profound.  He takes words written on a page and touches our hearts.  I often find myself asking why - why does He do all of this for us?  Yes, the answer is because He loves us, but not as we love on Earth.  He loves us with a love that is unconditional and sincere.

Romans 12:9-21 was our reading for worship last week.  These words seemed to drive deeper  into my heart each time I read them.  The heading for that section is "Love in Action"!  We typically turn to 1st Corinthians 13 - love is patient, love is kind, for a love chapter.  I believe this has become my new "go to" love chapter.  Here Paul writes and describes how we need to act, when we talk about love.  We need to do it with a level of sincerity - turning back and hating what is evil, clinging to what is good.

To love with sincerity is not easy.  To be sincere means feeling and acting with no deceit, dishonesty or hypocrisy.  We may feel this is how we love, yet if we are truthful, we may not always love that way.  I'm sure we all short of loving sincerely.  When someone hurts us or disappoints me, words may come out of our mouths or we may act in a way that doesn't portray love.  Once again, it is because we find ourselves in a sinful world and we are part of that.  How do we turn ourselves to love on an entirely different level?

We do as Paul suggests in this chapter - we cling to what is good.  There is only ONE who is good every minute of every day - God!  There is only ONE who can turn evil into good.  There is only ONE that can always show us how to act with love.  When we turn our eyes and intentions to God, the outcomes will always be better.  Our actions become less about us and more about God and His saving grace.  Our actions become more sincere because we can love knowing that God loves us so much He gave His one and only Son for us.  Our actions become filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let's put our love into action!  Let's cling to what is good and right.  Let's turn our back on whatever may be evil in our lives and put forth actions filled with God's love.  We've got this - with the help of God!!

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your unconditional and sincere love.  Help us to turn away from all that is evil and focus our actions on all that is good, loving with sincerity!  May we cling to your love and your word always!  Amen.

Under the Mask

 

Halloween and masquerade parties.  That seemed about the only times when we would don a mask.  Whatever the occasion, we typically would wear a mask in order to be someone else - someone scary, fun, famous.  The whole purpose behind a mask is so we wouldn't show our true selves.  

Fast forward through the last few months of 2020, and we find masks donning our faces almost every time we leave our homes - whether it be school, work, church, shopping, etc.  We now wear masks for a completely different reason, safety.  The goal behind wearing a mask today is so that we don't transmit our germs and we stop others' germs from reaching us.  

What I have come to realize in both situations with masks is that, whether we want to or not, we hide ourselves.  Halloween and masquerade masks covers up our own face and features, taking on the role of the mask character.  We don't see anything but that character.  With the masks that we wear for safety purposes, it is also difficult to see the full person under the mask.  You can't see someone smile or frown.  You can't see someone laugh (although you may hear them).  You can't see someone cringe.  All you see is the mask.  We have no idea what is happening under the mask.  

I find that frustrating as I am a person who loves to watch people's facial expressions.  Many times I am asking myself, "What is happening under that mask?"  What difference does it make?  I want to know if someone is happy or sad.  I'd like to try to help if I can, share a word of encouragement if it can help. Yet, there are other masks we wear.  Maybe we put on a mask of happiness when we are sad, a mask of joy when we are in pain.  For those around us, they see our mask.  Inside we may only feel hurt.   Our masks don't need to be made of cloth, they can be what we show the world.  

There is only one who can fully see us, regardless of what we are covering.  His eyes are everywhere and can fully see us under our masks.  God can see what is happening.  God sees us at all times, and knows our hearts at all times.  Not only can He see under our masks, He can see our hearts, our souls.  He understands when we are in pain, when we are struggling, when life is hard.  Jesus sees the good and the bad, the joy and the pain, and He is there for ALL of it.  Through a Bible verse or a friend, a whisper or a megaphone, Jesus can reach behind our masks and see all we are feeling.

These days there is much pain and hurt.  There is much anticipation and frustration.  There is much anxiety and worry.  Whatever mask you may be wearing, know that Jesus is here for you, to help and guide us past whatever we need to hide to the light of His world.  May He fill your heart and soul with hope and love, ensuring that whatever mask you may be wearing is covering your joy.

Heavenly Father, thank you for seeing under our masks and into our hearts and souls.  Help to heal whatever hurt we may have and bring us to the light of your world.  May your love be given to us freely so that we may give it to others.  Amen!

Waiting

 

This new way of life we are all facing has certainly come with many changes.  I think one of the greatest changes that I have noticed is my ability to just "grab and go" has become more of a "wait, grab, wait, wait" and then "go".  Many of the places we used to go and just run in to grab something quick has turned into a bit more planning - especially with planning our time.

I noticed it first when we were waiting to get into the grocery stores when there were only a certain number of people allowed in the store.  Then I noticed it at the curbside pickup of a local Mexican restaurant on Taco Tuesday.   Follow that with waiting to get into smaller boutique stores while on vacation that only allow five people to the store.  If you were number six, you needed to wait until another person exited the store before you were allowed in.  I think the longest wait I saw was last weekend when many people were doing back-to-school shopping and they were trying to get into sneaker stores.  All this waiting is certainly to assist with the physical distancing that is required, and I very much understand that.  With a little extra planning of time, we can all stay safe.

I thought about what would happen if there was a line to wait in to get into heaven!  What if only so many souls were allowed to enter?  What if there wasn't enough room for me when it was my turn?  I have to say, I pictured myself standing outside of heaven with Jesus saying, "No room for you!"   The thought of that sent shivers down my spine!  Even greater - what if I didn't do enough planning to get into heaven?  What if I didn't do enough good things for Jesus to let me enter heaven?

Then these wonderful words of Jesus entered my thoughts - He is preparing a place for me.  He not only is planning for me to be there, He is ensuring there is a room ready for me when I get there.  Jesus, our unconditionally loving savior, will welcome me with His arms wide open.  I won't have to wait in line because there will be a place waiting for me, a place that will have my own name on it.  Jesus will take my hand and walk me to heaven.  THAT picture is the one that fills my soul and brings me joy.  There will not be any waiting in heaven, Jesus will open the gates when we get there to bring us home to Him.  The greatest comfort?  As long as I believe that He is my Lord and Savior, He will let me pass through.  There aren't enough "good deeds" I can do to enter.  My sin would be far too great to let me enter.  Yet, Jesus took care of that for me.  He loved me enough to die on the cross so that I can enter heaven with Him.  That will be a glorious day.

Until then, yes, I will wait in lines.  The next time I do, there will be a smile on my face.  For I know that the waiting that I am doing is only here on earth.  In my eternal heavenly home, where there is a place waiting for ME, I will wait no more.  That makes this Jesus girl smile from ear to ear!  Blessings!

Dearest Jesus, thank you for providing a heavenly home where you will welcome me.  By my faith in you and the love you so graciously pour upon me, I will one day enter eternity with you.  Your death on the cross means my wait is over - I will rejoice with you in paradise.  How loved I am!!  Amen.